This annual event gathers teams from local clubs for an evening of indoor racing on rollers, where pairs of riders compete against each other over a distance of 1km.

The emphasis was on fast pedalling and the ability to maintain an intense effort for a minute, while helpers ensured that competitors did not ride off the rollers under the stress of their effort.

Colin Bates was first rider off for the Reading CC team and he found himself in the first race of the night against James Leach, a young rider from the host club.

Bates stayed level until the halfway point, but then began to struggle with lactic overload and blew big-time in the last 200m to record 53.27secs, compared to Leach's 45.64 for the 1000m.

Both riders were to finish as second-fastest riders in their respective teams.

Bates said: "My time was three seconds down on 2004 and I did find it harder work this year.

"All the damage happened in the last 10 seconds, when heart, lungs, everything was going flat-out but the legs were screaming and just wouldn't spin any more."

The second race was delayed as a Newbury RC competitor, riding on rollers for the first time, found it impossible to stay upright.

He stepped down and Reading's Dean Bond volunteered to take his place.

Bond set off at a cracking pace only for a roller to come loose and bring him to a juddering halt. He got a second chance and, like last year, proved to be Reading's fastest rider, clocking 47.95.

The computer printout of Bond's run showed that he hit a peak pedalling speed of 141rpm, equivalent to 54mph, but, more importantly, he was able to maintain a pedalling speed in excess of 100rpm for the entire race.

But he was up against Didcot's Nick Druce, who pipped him at the line to record 45.97.

The highlight of the evening saw one of the favourites, Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC pipped by 0.5 seconds by Mark Jones from Oxford City RC.

However, no-one could touch last year's winner, Nick Beale of Didcot Phoenix, who clocked a stupendous 41.20, topping out at a pedalling speed of 158rpm (61mph) and still holding over 130rpm (50mph) at the finish.

His unfortunate opponent was Reading's Ian Richardson, who in his first attempt at roller racing, clocked a creditable 54.27.

Richardson was startled to see his heart-rate monitor recorded a peak effort level of 202 bpm.

Reading's fourth rider, Graeme Farragher, was not at ease on his first ride on rollers and finished in 64:65.

The team award was won by Didcot Phoenix with a combined time of 3:00.93, 3.5 seconds ahead of Oxonian RC, with Oxford RC third, Newbury fourth and Reading fifth.

M All riders are invited to join the Saturday training ride, leaving from AW Cycles on the Henley Road at 8.30am. This is a non-stop ride lasting between two and three hours.

The Sunday club run this week is replaced by the annual reliability ride. There is a choice of distances, either 40 or 50 miles and the first riders leave Market Square at 9.05am.